Rodney Hylton Smith, (b. September 8, 1972) better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is an English rapper and producer.
Role in Gorillaz[]
Roots Manuva, alongside with Martina Topley-Bird, provided vocals for the track All Alone from Gorillaz' second studio album, Demon Days. He also was featured in the unreleased Gorillaz song Snakes And Ladders, which was later finished and released by Martina Topley-Bird as Soldier Boy. Roots Manuva also joined Gorillaz on Demon Days Live.
Musical Career[]
Since his debut in 1994, he has produced numerous albums and singles on the label Big Dada, achieving commercial success with albums Run Come Save Me and Slime & Reason. He has been described as "one of the most influential artists in British music history." His most recent studio album, Bleeds, was released in October 2015.
Discography[]
- Brand New Second Hand (1999)
- Run Come Save Me (2001)
- Dub Come Save Me (2002)
- Awfully Deep (2005)
- Alternately Deep (2006)
- Slime & Reason (2008)
- Duppy Writer (2010)
- 4everevolution (2011)
- Bleeds (2015)
Trivia[]
- 2-D wears a Roots Manuva shirt during Gorillazā 2001 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech video.
- Roots Manuva's line from Snakes and Ladders, "Who put the chemicals in the food chain?" was warped and used in the Demon Days Intro.